Mediaboss Marketing

On The Record: Mass. Democrat reacts to Alexandria shooting

Updated: 11:35 AM EDT Jun 18, 2017

Rep. Jim McGovern says we need to have an honest conversation about guns in this country after Rep. Steve Scalise was shot at a baseball field in Virginia.

WEBVTT ED: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.IT IS TIME TO GO "ON THERECORD.">> WE HAVE TO BE MUCH MORECAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE USE OURWORDS.ED: A COUNTRY NOW IMMUNE TOVIOLENCE. CAN CONGRESS SET AN EXAMPLEAFTER A WEEK OF TRAGEDY?>> WE NEED THE WHITE HOUSE TOWORK.RIGHT NOW, IT IS NOT WORKING.ED: THE PLOT THICKENS IN THEPROBE OF THE TRUMPADMINISTRATION.OUTSPOKEN BAY STATE CONGRESSMANJIM MCGOVERN IS OUR GUEST THISMORNING.ON BEACON HILL, HOW HIGH CAN THEMARIJUANA TAX GO?AND -->> SHARING YOUR FATHER'S LESSONSWITH THE PRESIDENT.ANNOUNCER: FROM WCVB CHANNEL 5,THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTONTO BEACON HILL.TODAY'S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING "ONTHE RECORD." ED: GOOD MORNING.HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.I'M ED HARDING, ALONG WITHNEWSCENTER 5'S JANET WU.IT SEEMS WE NOW SAY THIS EVERYSUNDAY.AFTER ANOTHER UNBELIEVABLE WEEKIN WASHINGTON -- THIS MORNING, WE HAVE WORCESTERDEMOCRAT JIM MCGOVERN AS OURGUEST. THE CONGRESSMAN JOINS US LIVEVIA SATELLITE FROM WASHINGTON.GOOD MORNING.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THISFATHER'S DAY.JANET: THANK YOU FOR BEING WITHUS.REP. MCGOVERN: HAPPY FATHER'SDAY.I WISH MY FATHER, WALTERMCGOVERN, A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY,TOO.JANET: LET'S JUMP INTO WHATHAPPENED THIS WEEK.A SHOOTING IN ALEXANDRIA WHERECONGRESSMEN WERE PRACTICINGFOR THE ANNUAL BASEBALL GAME.WILL THIS EVENT CHANGE ANY BOATSON GUN CONTROL AND HOW?THERE'S TALKS ON BOTH SIDESABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE GUNS INWASHINGTON AND THE NEED FOR LESSGUNS.REP. MCGOVERN: I'M ON THE SIDEOF LESS GUNS.THERE ARE TOO MANY GUNS AND TOOMANY ASSAULT WEAPONS IN OURCOUNTRY.WE'VE HAD INCIDENTS LIKE THIS INTHE PAST.MY COLLEAGUE GABBY GIFFORDS WASSHOT.WE'VE HAD MASSACRES TIME ANDTIME AGAIN.YET, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT EVENTO BRING THAT DISCUSSION TO THEHOUSE FLOOR.I'M HOPING AT SOME POINT THATWILL CHANGE.WE NEED TO HAVE AN HONESTCONVERSATION ABOUT GUNS IN OURCOUNTRY.JANET: YOU DON'T THINK THIS WILLCHANGE ANYTHING ONCE AGAIN?REP. MCGOVERN: I HOPE I AM WRONGON THAT.SOME OF US WILL CONTINUE TO PUSHTHAT WE BRING RESPONSIBLE GUNSAFETY LEGISLATION AND GUNCONTROL BILLS TO THE FLOOR.WE HAVE TRIED TIME AND TIMEAGAIN IN THE AFTERMATH OFMASSACRES AND WE HAVE NOT BEENSUCCESSFUL.MAYBE THIS TIME WILL BEDIFFERENT.ED: WHEN I HEAR ON THE STREET,IF YOU USE THE WORD "MASSACRE,"IF SANDY HOOK COULDN'T CHANGEANYTHING, WHAT CAN?REP. MCGOVERN: THE NATIONALRIFLE ASSOCIATION ISWELL-FINANCED LOBBY THAT INVESTSHEAVILY IN CAMPAIGNS.EVEN AMONG DEMOCRATS.THEY DON'T WANT ANY OF THESEVOTES TO COME TO THE FLOOR.WE HAD A SIT IN ON THE HOUSEFLOOR LAST YEAR OVER THE FACTTHAT WE COULDN'T GET THELEADERSHIP TO BRING TO THE FLOORTO BILLS.ONE THAT CALLED FOR UNIVERSALTHAT SAID IF YOU ARE TOODANGEROUS TO FLY ON AN AIRPLANEBECAUSE YOU WERE ON AN FBIWATCHLIST, YOU WANT NOT TO BEABLE TO GO BY AN ASSAULTWEAPON.JANET: BECAUSE OF REPUBLICANSWHO BACK THE CURRENT GUN LAWS,THEY WILL CHANGE THEM SO PEOPLEWILL HAVE MORE ACCESS TO GUNS TODEFEND THEMSELVES?REP. MCGOVERN: THE MAN WHOCOMMITTED THIS RENDERS CRIME --HORRENDOUS CRIME HAD A LONGHISTORY OF TROUBLE.HE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THISWEAPON AND SHOT AT MYCOLLEAGUES.THAT WAS IN VIRGINIA.THE LAWS IN VIRGINIA ARE PRETTYLOOSE.GOVERNOR TERRY MCAULIFFE TALKEDABOUT THAT IN THE IMMEDIATEAFTERMATH OF THE SHOOTING.LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.MOST OF THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO ALAW-ENFORCEMENT -- IN LAWENFORCEMENT QUITE FRANKLY FAVORCOMMONSENSE GUN LEGISLATION.WE OUGHT TO INSIST THERE BEBACKGROUND CHECKS AND THEY OUGHTTO BE UNIVERSAL.I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS SOCONTROVERSIAL.SOMEHOW COME IN WASHINGTON, ITIS.ED: THE NEXT THING I WANT TOTALK ABOUT IS CUBA.PRESIDENT TRUMP NOT A BIG FAN OFHIS PREDECESSOR'S CUBA POLICY.WHAT'S THE DANGER OF CHANGINGCOURSE?REP. MCGOVERN: THE DANGER IS ITHURTS THE CUBAN PEOPLE AND ITHURTS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH CUBAIS NOT JUST ABOUT HELPING CUBA,IT'S ABOUT HELPING THE UNITEDSTATES.ALREADY COME A NUMBER OF U.S.BUSINESSES IN A VERY LIMITED WAYHAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BUSINESSWITH CUBA.IT HAS RESULTED IN MORE JOBS INTHE UNITED STATES.AMERICAN AIRLINES, JETBLUE ANDDELTA HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS TOCUBA.PEOPLE ARE BEING EMPLOYED IN THEUNITED STATES BECAUSE OF OURBETTER RELATIONS WITH CUBA.BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE MEDICALRESEARCHERS, PEOPLE IN OURBIOTECH INDUSTRY WHO WANT TOWORK WITH THEIR CUBANCOUNTERPARTS OF INVESTED A GREATDEAL OF RESOURCES INTO CURINGDISEASES.WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING AFREE COUNTRY.AMERICANS OUGHT TO HAVE THERIGHT TO BE ABLE TO TRAVELFREELY WHEREVER THEY WANT TO GO.PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL TO NORTH KOREAAND IRAN IF THEY GET A VISA FROMTHOSE COUNTRIES BUT YOU CANNOTTRAVEL TO CUBA BECAUSE THEUNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SAYSYOU CAN'T?THAT GOES AGAINST WHO WE ARE.IT'S A MISTAKE TO TURN BACK THECLOCK ON OUR RELATIONS WITHCUBA.ED: MONTH AGO, I SPENT A WEEKTHERE.THE PEOPLE OF CUBA ARE WELCOMINGTHE PEOPLE OF UNITED STATESWITH OPEN ARMS.THEY WANT TO EXPAND THERELATIONSHIP.REP. MCGOVERN: ABSOLUTELY.MY FIRST VISIT TO CUBA WAS IN1979.IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE THATTHE EUROPEANS AND CANADIANS HAVERELATIONS WITH CUBA, TRADINGRELATIONS WITH CUBA.PRESIDENT OBAMA TOOK THE FIRSTSTEPS, WHICH I SUPPORTEDWHOLEHEARTEDLY.LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARDAND LIFT THE TRAVELRESTRICTIONS.I HAVE A BILL THAT WILL DO THAT.AND CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEREFORMS THAT ARE BEGINNING TOTAKE HOLD IN CUBA.TO GO BACK TO A POLICY THAT HASFAILED MISERABLY FOR 50 YEARSMAKES NO SENSE.JANET: A SERIES OF LAWSUITS ARENOW MOVING THROUGH THE LEGALSYSTEM GOING AFTER PRESIDENTTRUMP ON THE -- DO YOU SEE ANYAFTERWARDS TOWARDS FORCING THEPRESIDENT TO REVEAL HIS PERSONALFINANCES?REP. MCGOVERN: I'M HOPING THECOURTS WILL TAKE IT UP.CONGRESS IS ABOUT TO FILE ALAWSUIT AS WELL.I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THATLAWSUIT.THE MAYOR CAN PEOPLE HAVE THERIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THEPRESIDENT'S FINANCES ARE,WHETHER THERE ARE ANYCONFLICTS OF INTEREST.THE FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OFINTEREST THAT THIS PRESIDENT HASHAS PUT THIS WHITE HOUSE ON ACOLLISION COURSE WITH CORRUPTION.I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHERADMINISTRATION WHERE THIS LACKOF TRANSPARENCY WOULD BETOLERATED.PEOPLE OUGHT TO KNOW WHETHERTHERE ARE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.THEY OUGHT TO KNOW WHEN THEPRESIDENT PUTS TOGETHER A TAXREFORM PLAN IF IT'S BENEFITINGHIM OR AVERAGE AMERICANS.AND THEY OUGHT TO KNOW WHETHERTHERE ARE FINANCIAL TIES WITHRUSSIA AND OTHER FOREIGNGOVERNMENTS.LET A LITTLE SUNSHINE IN.WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR.EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT HAS HAD TORELEASE THEIR TAX RETURNS.WHY SHOULD THIS PRESIDENT BE ANEXCEPTION?JANET: ARE YOU ANY MOREOPTIMISTIC TODAY THAN YOU WERETWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO?REP. MCGOVERN: I'M OPTIMISTIC INTHE SENSE THAT CONGRESS ISCOMING TOGETHER TRYING TO FIGUREOUT CONCRETE ACTIONS TO BE ABLETO IF NOT PERSUADE THE PRESIDENTTO COME CLEAN ON HIS TAX RETURNSTO MAYBE GET THE COURTSINVOLVED.I'M HOPING THE COURTS WILL TAKETHIS UP AND THAT THEY WILLDECIDE ON THE SITE OFTRANSPARENCY.ED: WE ARE READY FOR THE OTR POPQUIZ.ARE YOU READY?REP. MCGOVERN: PROBABLY NOT, BUTGO AHEAD.ED: QUESTION 1 -- AN AMERICANCOLLEGE STUDENT WAS RELEASEDFROM A NORTH KOREAN PRISON THISPAST WEEK.THE 22-YEAR-OLD WAS SENT HOME INA COMA.HE WAS SERVING 15 YEARS HARDLABOR FOR ALLEGED ANTI-STATEACTS.WHAT HAD OTTO WARMBIER DONE?WHAT DID HE DO ECH?REP. MCGOVERN: THE NORTH KOREANSACCUSED HIM OF BEING A SPY.ED: HE TRIED TO STEAL A BANNER.KEEPING WITH THE NORTH KOREANTHEME, WHAT HIGH PROFILEAMERICAN WAS IN THAT COUNTRYWHEN OTTO WARMBIER WAS RELEASED?REP. MCGOVERN: RODMAN.THE BASKETBALL PLAYER.ED: FORMER BASKETBALL BATBOYDENNIS RODMAN -- BAD BOY DENNISRODMAN.

See more here:
On The Record: Mass. Democrat reacts to Alexandria shooting - WCVB Boston